All Things Were Created By Him and For Him (Col
1:16, John 1:3, Eph 1:9-10)

#2.He Is the Head of the Body, the
Church (Col 1:17-18, Isa 55:8-9, Eph
2:22, 5:26-27)

He Must Have the Preeminence (Col 1:18-20, Eph 1:22-23)

#3.And You Hath He Now Reconciled
(Col 1:21-22, John 20:21)

If Ye Continue in the Faith (Col 1:23, Phil
2:13, 2Tim 1:12)

Please open your Bibles to the Epistle to the Ephesians 2:19
(2X). We are continuing in the series that is called, "The Wisdom of
God" (2X). In this series we are taking an overview of God's plan
and God's execution of His plan for this creation. In other words, we are
gleaning from the Scriptures what the counsel of God and what the
providence of God is, and what is the end of all things that God in
His counsel has decided from before the foundation of the world? The first
sermon in this series was preached on August 10, 2003, and was titled, "God's
Eternal Purpose for This Creation". The last two sermons in this
series were titled, "It Is Finished", two weeks ago, and
"Metamorphosis", one week ago. You have to see the logic in this;
this sequence is not arbitrary. Because the Lord Jesus Christ finished His work
on the cross, paying for the guilt of all the sins of all those people whom He
came to save, all those people are guaranteed to experience a "Metamorphosis"
at some point in their lifetime. In other words, all those who had their sins
paid for at the cross are guaranteed to become "Born Again" at
some point in their lifetime. What then will they do after that they
have become "Born Again"? The Bible says that they will have an urgent
desire to meet together with others who believe as they do, and so they
want to form a local Church. That is why today's sermon, which is #9
in this series, is titled, "The Church" (2X). Let me
first say a few words about:

The Local Church and the Church Universal (Eph 2:19, 1Kings 19:18)

In His wisdom God instilled in us the desire to worship together as a
Church, because we want to meet together as a church family. That is the reason
why our church exists. This is the visible church. The visible church is
the local church. Therefore the local church is a group of people who
gather together on Sundays, because the greatest feast of the NT church is the
bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the main reason why
the church worships on Sundays is because God changed the OT 7th day
Sabbath to the NT Sunday Sabbath. And you can see that in the Greek text
in Matt 28:1, in Mark 16:2, in Luke 24:1, and in John 20:1. Clearly the
OT 7th day Sabbath, which was part of the Ceremonial Law, has
been done away, and God established the NT Sunday Sabbath in its place
as a sign that the Messiah has come already, and on this day we are looking
back at the glorious day of His resurrection from the dead. Thus the church is
not a building, and the church is not a meeting hall, but the church is a
group of people who come together to worship. This is the visible, local
church, or the local congregation, and we must see it as an institute,
established by God. But God also speaks in the Bible about another church,
which is the church as a living organism, not a visible local
congregation but invisible because only God knows its members. This is the
church universal, as it is evident for example in Eph
2:19, where we read:

Eph2:19Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints, and of the household of God;

This is the group of Christian believers, all having their salvation in
Jesus Christ, being washed by His blood, sanctified and sealed by the Holy
Ghost. This church has been from the beginning of the world, and will be to the
end thereof; which is evident from this, that Christ is an eternal King, who
without subjects would not be a King. And this holy church is preserved and
supported by God against the rage of the whole world. Furthermore, this holy
church is not confined or limited to a certain place or to certain persons, but
is spread and dispersed over the whole world, and yet it is joined and united
with heart and will, by the power of faith, in one and the same spirit. This church
universal includes all that are saved and it excludes all that are not
saved. This is the body of Christ. This is the church that is holy, without
sin, without spot or wrinkle, consecrated unto God, and therefore quite
distinct and separated from the world consisting of fallen and sinful mankind.

Therefore, when someone proclaims that the church is dead, that
person may be speaking about a certain local congregation, but making such a
preposterous claim for the entire church in the world is arrogant. He is
not God, and he cannot see the hearts of people in every congregation in the
world. Christ said that He will build His church, referring to the church
universal, and the gates of Hell shall not overcome it. Even in the dismal
days of king Ahab, when Elijah thought that he was the only faithful one left
in Israel, God told Elijah in 1Kings 19:18,

1Ki 19:18Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees
which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

This we can also say for today's condition in the churches. But I believe
that presently there are a whole lot more than 7000 which have not bowed
the knee to Baal. For this we have to give thanks to God. Please turn in
your Bibles about 15 pages to your right (ß) to the Epistle to the Colossians 1:10

Giving Thanks (Col 1:10-14, Jas 1:17, Gen 15:1, Matt 1:21)

In this chapter we have a wonderful description of the church universal,
and her relationship to Christ as the head of the church. We read in Col
1:10,

Col 1:10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being
fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Col 1:11Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power,
unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

It is only by the grace of God, and by the wisdom that God imparts to us,
that we can "walk worthy of the Lord unto all
pleasing, being fruitful in every good work". It is
only by the grace of God that He will give us also the wisdom to be "increasing
in the knowledge of God" when we study His Word, and when we meditate
on His Word, and when we listen to uplifting sermons, and when we engage in
fruitful discussions with believers of like mind, and so on. Our life and
our frame of mind are in the hands of God. He determines if we will learn
or if we will remain stagnant. And so, when we see that God blesses us with
understanding, we should check if our insights are also reflected in the
minds of other believers, and we must thank God for the "increase in
the knowledge of God" that we have received."Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of

lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (Jas 1:17). Let us go on in Col 1:12

Col 1:12 ¶ Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Col 1:13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Col 1:14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins:

Should we not be intensely grateful for this? The Father "hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints
in light". The saints in light are those
who have entered into the church universal, and have become the body of Christ
and the Bride of Christ. The inheritance of the saints in light is God Himself,
reflected in the words God spoke to Abraham when He said in Gen 15:1,
"Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward".
God promised this to Abraham and God also promises it also to all the spiritual
children of Abraham. When we receive God Himself as our reward, we have
received everything. We could not ask for more, for there is no more. And when
"the Father has made us meet", or made us fitting, "to
be partakers of this great reward", it means that we have been elected
unto salvation from before the foundation of the world. We shudder when we
think that He could have passed us by. What a pain if He would have elected
someone else in my place. But no! The Father has chosen to make us as vessels
unto honor, and for this we must thank Him immensely. How great is our
gratitude? Can we see our life as a life filled with gratitude? Formerly we
were in the kingdom of Satan, the king of darkness, and we relished in our
sins. But at the time of our Metamorphosis the Father has delivered us from the
power of darkness, meaning that we are no longer held captive under the power
of sin. The Father has delivered us out of the kingdom of
darkness and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ. What this means is that we cannot go back into
the kingdom of darkness. Once Christ has paid for our sins and God has done
this wonderful work in our soul, it means that we can no more go back to our
former sinful state. Just like a butterfly will no more fit into the cocoon
she came out of, so it is impossible for us to backslide into our former
condition of being happy in our sin. In the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ
there are no backsliders. Verse 14 says, "We have redemption
through His blood". This does not refer to every human being in the
world, but it refers to "We". Who are "We"?
"We" are all those whose sins Christ came to pay. We read in Matt
1:21, "Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people
from their sins". "We" are "His people". If I
would not be one of His people because I am a Gentile, then Christ would not
have paid for my sins. But since I know, by faith, that all my sins were paid by the Lord Jesus, I also understand the
meaning of "His people" in Matt 1:21.

Beginning with verse 15 we have a description of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the power of Christ, which holds everything together.

Col 1:15Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every
creature:

What does it mean that He is "the image of the invisible God"?
God says in John 1:18, "No man hath seen God at any time; the
only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him".
And it is most clearly explained in the words of the Lord Jesus in John
14:9-11, where Jesus said, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the
Father", and "The words that I speak unto you I speak not of
Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth
the works", and "Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the
Father in Me". God tells us here that Jesus is the image of the
Father. It does not mean that the Father has hands and feet like Jesus had,
because "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in
spirit and in truth". Adam was a man created in the image of God. The
Lord Jesus, who is the Second Adam, was God created in the image of man. The
first Adam represented the glories of God only in part. He could think and
speak. He could have a concept of righteousness and fellowship with God, but he
could not think like God. The Lord Jesus Christ is eternal,
incomprehensible, immutable, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, the
overflowing fountain of all good, one in thought with the Father and residing
both on earth and in heaven at the same time. And He was that way before
His incarnation, He was that way in the days of His flesh and He is like that
now also in His glorified state. That is why He is "the image of the
invisible God".

When the Lord Jesus Christ is called "The Firstborn of every
creature", or better "The Firstborn of all creation",
He does not bear that name for the reason that He was born of the Virgin Mary.
It does not refer to His birth, but to His death and resurrection. God
specifies that in verse 18, where Christ is called, "The Firstborn from
the dead". His birth is not the greatest feast of the church, but His
death and resurrection is. Christ is called "the Firstborn of all
creation", because He is "the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world" (Rev 13:8). His death for the sins of all the OT
saints is effective from the foundation of the world, and thus His resurrection
also reaches back to the foundation of the world. "If Christ is not
raised, our faith is vain; and we are yet in our sins". The entire
creation of the world, and even the creation of this universe, is contingent
upon Christ being raised from the dead. He must die and be raised from the
dead, to accomplish God's purpose for this creation. We read that also in:

Col 1:16For by him were
all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

All Things Were Created By Him and For Him (Col
1:16, John 1:3, Eph 1:9-10)

It is easy to believe that "all things were created by Him",
because we read a confirmation of this in John 1:3, "All things
were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made".
When we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the second person of the triune
God, and when we believe that the triune God created the heavens and the earth,
it is easy to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was the creator of all things
together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.But this verse,

says something more. Col 1:16 says that "All
things were created by Him and for Him". Were all things created for
Him? Please turn about 15 pages to your left (à),
to the Epistle to the Ephesians 1:9-10. What is God's goal? What is the outcome? What has God determined in
Himself? What is the end of all the works of His hands? Here in Eph 1:9-10 we read about the actions of God
the Holy Spirit in revealing to us the mystery of His will, and revealing to us
God's purpose in creating us and in saving us.God says in Eph
1:9,

Eph1:9Having made known unto US the mystery of his will, according to
his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

We read in verse 9 what
God has purposed in Himself, in His Counsel before the foundation of the world,
with respect to the eternal purpose of all His works. Then we read in verse
10,

Eph 1:10That in the
dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are
on earth; even in him:

There can be no doubt that this
passage deals with the eternal good pleasure of God. He has purposed in
Himself from before the foundation of the world how all things should be in the
end. And God is not just speaking about all the elect, because God says
emphatically "all things", and God specifies these things as those "which are
in heaven, and which are on earth". What has God, from before the
foundation of the world, determined in Himself with respect to this present
creation? We see in verses 9 and 10 first of all that the entire
creation shall be intimately connected and be a harmonious unity. Is all
creation a harmonious unity now? No! The creatures are now separated and
pitted in battle against each other. Microbes and viruses are attacking mankind.
The world of mankind is divided: the reprobate are persecuting the
children of God, and even the children of the Devil are pitted in combat
against each other. In the spirit world Satan and his demons are in a
spiritual battle against those of mankind whom they hate the most, and angels
are sent by God to be ministering spirits to those who shall be heirs of
salvation and heirs of God. But here in Eph
1:9-10 God teaches us that it was God's purpose from before the
foundation of the world to unite all things again into a higher and all
inclusive unity, both the things in heaven and the things on earth.

Secondly, we see that all
things will be gathered together "in Christ", and they are
governed by Christ as King. This is what God has purposed in Himself,
and God will bring it to pass. God decided the end, and God sovereignly
determined the way and the means that should lead to that end, sin and
death included (2X). God's plans cannot be frustrated. This also means that
all creation shall be most intimately united with God, since Christ is
God. This also means that all creatures who oppose Christ as their Lord will be
removed into a place called Hell, and all things that have been defiled
by them shall be destroyed, so that in the end situation only righteousness
shall dwell where the Saints shall be. It will be a perfect universe where
everything and everyone is united under Christ as the head. This is what verse
10 teaches us. "All things were created for Him".

In the end of the world the organism of the elect church will be finally
and completely separated from the reprobate shell. Some people teach
that God created a perfect and original organism in Adam. This original
organism is marred and spoiled and corrupted by sin. And in the end God
restores this original organism in the church by recreation. The problem with
this view is that something falls really in the hands of Satan, and is lost.
The Devil, after all, gains a victory, although God restores His marred
creation and has the final victory. But that is not the view of Eph 1:10. What is the Biblical view? God from all
eternity purposed to create a church in Christ. That church was created in the
loins of Adam organically, together with the reprobate shell of the
human race. Remember, God said to Eve, "I will greatly multiply thy
sorrow AND thy conception". And in the line of election and
reprobation God separates the nucleus from the shell, and God brings His elect
church to glory. Nothing is lost (2X). Sin and Satan must simply serve
the purpose of realizing the church of Christ. And God maintains His counsel
(2X). This is the teaching of Eph 1:10
and this is the teaching of Col 1:16. that is
why God says in Col 1:16, "All things were created by Him and for Him".
Let us now continue with Col 1:17. Please turn again about 15 pages to
your right (ß)
to Col 1:17 (2X).

#2.He Is the Head of the Body, the
Church (Col 1:17-18, Isa 55:8-9, Eph
2:22, 5:26-27)

First Col 1:17 repeats in different words what God already said in the
previous verse,

Col 1:17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Christ is before all things, means not only that He existed in time
before all things came into existence, but also that Christ must be number
one in our life. Let us check out our daily schedule, and see if Christ is
indeed number one in our life. Where does the bulk of our time go? Do we give
Christ our leftover time? Do we give Him just 1½ hour on Sundays? Do we think
that is enough? Do we take time to watch TV or to read the newspaper? Is it
possible that we actually do not love Him as much as we ought to love the One
who saved us from a slippery slide into Hell?

Not only were all things created by Him and for Him, but
presently all things are held together by Him. The Lord Jesus said, "Without
Me ye can do nothing", and that is absolutely nothing. Not only was He
speaking to the disciples, not only was He speaking to all the elect of
mankind, but he was also speaking to all those who are the non-elect, which are
on the way to Hell. The Lord Jesus said to them also, "Without Me ye
can do nothing", and God does that without being the author
of sin, and without making any of us robots. We cannot
understand this from the human perspective, but God says in Isa 55:8-9,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the LORD.For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts". We cannot reach or understand the height of God's level of
thought. All we can do is believe what the Bible says. We are not called
to understand it all, but believe it all. We must apply this when we
want to know the meaning of "By Him all things consist". All
things, refer to really all things, both in the world of the elect
as well as in the world of the non-elect. Now the next V.

Col 1:18And He is the Head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the Firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preeminence.

Christ is the Head of the church, which is called His body. Christ is the
Chief Cornerstone of the church. Christ is the foundation on which we
rest all of our doctrines. But where do we find this information about
Christ? It is in the Bible. That is why the Bible alone must be our
guide, to guide us into what is truth and what is false. The Bible is our
measuring stick, and the Bible is our plumb line, and the Bible is the only
collection of words we can trust. The Bible is the church's foundation, even though
Christ is really our foundation. But only if we remain faithful to the Bible
will we be "a habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph 2:22). And Christ is the beginning of the
church, and He is called the Firstborn from the dead because He
purchased the church when He hung on the cross. O yes, He purchased the whole
world, but He purchased especially the church eternal, the body of believers
who are called His Bride, and paid for all her sins,

Eph5:26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word,

Eph 5:27That he might present
it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

This is why Christ had to die and this is why He had to rise from the
dead, "in order that He might have the
preeminence". Since He purchased the church
and the world when He hung on the cross, He became the Master of all creation;
and that is why:

He Must Have the Preeminence (Col 1:18-20,
Eph 1:22-23)

We read in Col 1:18-20,

Col 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preeminence.

Col 1:19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

Yes, it pleased the Father that in Him, in the body of the child
born to the Virgin Mary, in the body of the carpenter of Nazareth, our Kinsman,
in Him all the fullness of the Godhead should bodily dwell.

Col 1:20And, having made
peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things
unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or
things in heaven.

Since Christ was the God-Man, our Kinsman and God's spotless
Lamb, He only qualified to be our Redeemer, to make peace between God and man
through His suffering and death on the cross, and He alone qualified to
reconcile all things unto Himself. Here is that "all things"
again, which really means all things. We see it again in Eph
1:22-23, where God says

Eph 1:22-23 And hath put all things
under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to
the church, Which is his body,
the fulness of him that filleth
all in all.

However, God will give His glory to no other. He is Lord and
accomplishes all His good pleasure. Through the vain imagination of
Satan and the fall of man God prepared the way for His Son to come into the
world. That Son God had anointed from before the foundation of the world to be
the Head of the church, the heir of all things, the Lord of lords and King of
kings, the everlasting representative of God's lordship over all created
things, the eternal Servant-King under God, in Whom and under Whom all things,
both that are in heaven and that are on earth, must be united in the heavenly
Kingdom of the new creation. This Son of God, this anointed Servant of the
Lord, was ordained to come into this world, to unite Himself with human nature,
and to become like unto His brethren in all things. In the world He was to
represent God's cause, His eternal covenant, His truth and righteousness, His
sovereignty and lordship, His everlasting love and mercy, His glory and honor.
Out of the worldHe
must redeem and save His people in the way of perfect obedience, even unto
death. And He must form them into a people of God, that will live in God's house
and that will extol His praises. He is anointed to overcome all the power of
sin and death, to dispossess the Devil and the wicked, and finally to destroy
them by the breath of His mouth. And having overcome all His enemies, He is to
submit Himself and His Kingdom to the Father, that God
may be all in all. This is what Christ came to do! The result is a battle
throughout the ages: Christ and His church against the world, which is
principally anti-Christ. The Son of God gathers His church. To that church
He gives His Word, that she might proclaim it. He calls her out of darkness
into God's marvelous light, in order that she may walk in the light. Yet,
though calling her out of the world in a spiritual sense, He leaves her in the
world, that she may proclaim the Gospel in the midst of a crooked and perverse
generation, among whom she shines as lights in this dark world. This is our
primary task in this world. This is the task of our local church as a whole,
but this is also the task of each individual in this congregation. How do we
measure up to this assignment? Do we find ourselves busy doing this work? Do we
find ourselves busy preparing for such battles? Do we find ourselves busy
praying for many?

At this point, let me briefly summarize what we have covered
so far. #1. We have talked about the local church and the church universal, and
for both we must give God thanks. #2. We have seen that Christ is the image of
the invisible God, and why He is called the Firstborn of all creation. #3. We
have seen that all things were created by Him and for Him, and this really
means "all things". Nothing will be lost to the Devil. #4. We have
seen that Christ is the Head of the church, which is called His body, and
Christ must have the preeminence, because He bought us, body and soul. Then God
says:

#3.And You Hath He Now Reconciled
(Col 1:21-22, John 20:21)

Col 1:21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Col 1:22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in
his sight:

In the past we all were enemies of God in our mind by doing wicked works.
But now we have been reconciled to God. Christ did that. He did not ask our
permission, but He chose whom He would save and He saved us mightily, on the
cross and through His Spirit at the time we became "Born Again", to
present us holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight. What does that mean? It means
that we have become of the family of Christ. He went before us to the battle,
and was victorious. His death was His victory. But we are not just drafted into
the family of Christ; we also have been drafted into His army. The Lord Jesus
said, "As My Father has sent Me, even so send I you" (John
20:21). Will we fight the battles where Christ sent us to? He has promised
us victory. Will we obey? It depends on how great our gratitude is. Would we
run like soldiers to the battle, or would we run like cowards away from the
battle? Again I ask, what does it mean, "to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in
his sight"? Does this have anything to do
with our witness in this world? Absolutely! There are no silent Christians. All
those who have become saved have an urgent desire to engage in the spiritual
battle that God has assigned to us. And what is our victory? Faith is our
victory! To remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ and to keep the faith, that
is our victory. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. This victory
is certain, because God ordained His Son to be the heir of all things from
before the foundation of the world. Therefore when we read in Col 1:23,

If Ye Continue in the Faith (Col 1:23,
Phil 2:13, 2Tim 1:12)

This does not refer to a condition for salvation, but it refers to a fact
that accompanies salvation.

Col 1:23If ye continue in
the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of
the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every
creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

No, this is not something that we must do out of our own
good heart; it is not something that we must conjure up in our own mind, but,

Php2:13For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do
of his good pleasure.

We cannot take credit for any good works, which we do. This is God
working in us and through us to accomplish what He foreordained that we should
do. No, don't take the credit away from God. He deserves all the credit and all
the glory for any good works that we do. Besides, did you notice that we do not
do those good works perfectly? We know that we always can improve on what we
have done yesterday. This means that even our best works are tainted by sin.
Don't offer such sin tainted works to God, as if they came out of your good
heart. Therefore, serve Him fearlessly, and believe that He will preserve us to
the end, to the day of Jesus Christ. Let me read to you from 2Tim 1:12.
The hymn that we are going to sing in a few minutes is based on these words.

2Ti 1:12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am
not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.